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Library News

Digitization Update - SG Bulletins & Staff Rules

Secretary-General's bulletins

Wednesday 8 August 2018

Topics: Digital Collections

In an ongoing initiative the Dag Hammarskjöld Library’s Digitization Unit has scanned over 160 memorable Secretary-General’s bulletins, including UN staff rules,from the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. These historical UN documents contain milestone communications includingbulletins addressedto the “Members of the Staff of United Nations”by Secretaries-General Trygve Lie and Dag Hammarskjöld.

Since many of the staff rules have numerous amendments one can follow the path of refining for each rule, and the evolution of the Organization’s human resource topics throughout the decades.

The bulletins provide a rare historical perspective into human resource related communications during the early years of the United Nations. They address various UN staff matters, for example, SGB/1issued by the first UN Secretary-General Trygve Lieestablished the “New York Headquarters and the temporary London office” in 1946. SGB/63 describes the “Functions of United Nations Archives” and ST/SGB/124 gives a detailed account of the‘Revised Organization of the Secretariat’ from 1961. Other communications such as SGB/69 detail overtime practices, and the establishment of an Appeals Board (SGB/64).

These historic Secretary-General’s bulletins and Staff Rules and Regulations can be found inthe Library’s own digital portal, the UN Digital Library. All Secretary General Bulletin documents begin with symbol SGB/ or ST/SGB, and can be found via the advanced search in the database.